


Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

by americanhoney913



Series: Julie and the Himbos [3]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Aged up characters, Alternate Universe - RENT Fusion, F/F, F/M, Gen, Julie and the Phantoms Week 2020, M/M, RENT themes, mature themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27392863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanhoney913/pseuds/americanhoney913
Summary: In daylights, in sunsetsIn midnights, in cups of coffeeIn inches, in miles, in laughter, in strifeIn five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutesHow do you measure, a year in the life?--- Seasons of Love, RENTA JatP RENT AU for Day 2 of JatP Week
Relationships: Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Series: Julie and the Himbos [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1959466
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43
Collections: JATP Appreciation Week





	1. Goodbye, Love

**Author's Note:**

> CAST:
> 
> Luke- Roger  
> Reggie- Mark  
> Julie- Mimi  
> Carrie- Maureen  
> Flynn- Joanne  
> Bobby- Benny  
> Alex- Angel (not a drag queen, still a percussionist)  
> Willie- Tom
> 
> I know RENT is more mature, but why do the JatP characters fit so well into these roles (except Carrie and Flynn because they could flip flop).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Alex is cast as Angel in this and, as such, has passed away. Major character death is not for the guys being ghosts, it's for actual major character death. He is also not a drag queen in this, but imagine a more flamboyant Alex, like we got from the All Eyes on Me performance.

The air feels still, even with the slight breeze. Crisp and chilly, but the sun’s out and casting warmth over the cemetery. It smells like fall, Alex’s favorite time of year, and there’s talk of snow coming later in the week. The leaves are falling, crinkling underfoot, and the color makes the trees look like they’re on fire. Willie shoves his hands into his pockets as he wanders over to where his friends stand, gathered in a semicircle around a headstone.

_Here Lies_

_Alex King_

_1963-1990_

_Wherever he went, there was love._

“It's true you sold your guitar and bought a car?” Julie asks Luke as she wraps her arms around herself. Her black nail polish glints in the sunlight as she stands next to Bobby. Flynn’s standing on her other side, arms crossed, glaring at Carrie. Carrie’s standing next to Reggie in ripped jeans and a low cut top, lips a dark red against a snarl. And Reggie… Reggie’s trying not to look at her from his stiff position on Luke's side. Willie’s standing off to the side, by himself, hands in his pockets. He doesn’t have his board, for once, and the black beanie Alex gave him sitting on his head, slumped just like his shoulders. This whole situation feels surreal to Willie.

“It’s true,” Luke tells her. “I’m leaving for Santa Fe.” He glares at Bobby. “It's true you’re with this yuppy scum?” He gestures to his once good friend.

“You said you'd never speak to him again,” Bobby hisses to Julie.

“Not now.”

Flynn steps up and puts her hand on Julie’s shoulder. “Who said that you have any say in who she says things to at all?”

“Who said that you should stick your nose in other people's-” Carrie speaks up, taking a single step forward.

“Who said I was talking to you?”

They begin to fight, to bicker amongst themselves. Carrie and Flynn fight about their broken engagement while Bobby, Luke, and Julie are all shouting at each other. Willie feels his heart breaking and his hand itches for the touch of another. Reggie’s standing next to him, camera in his bag for once instead of out. Willie doesn’t understand how Reggie can experience the world through the lens of a camera, but he can understand why the other man retreated after Carrie broke up with him for Flynn.

“You know,” Julie’s voice echoes through the fighting around them, “I’d be happy to die for a taste of what Alex had. Someone to live for,” she gives Willie a weak smile before she turns to Luke. “Unafraid to say ‘I love you.’”

The musician scoffs. “All your words are nice, Julie, but love's not a three-way street.” He shakes his head. “You’ll never share real love until you love yourself.” His shoulders slump as he shoves his hands into his pockets. His long jean jacket hunches with him, making his shoulders look bigger. “I should know”

The bickering continues and Willie can’t stand it anymore. He’s cried so many times since they dragged that sheet over Alex’s pale face. The last time he kissed the other man’s forehead, hair gone and lips as white as snow. The pain in Alex’s eyes as he shook with fevers and chills and pain and, oh, how Willie wished he had a magic fucking wand to wave over him and bippity boppity boo all his pain away.

“You all said you'd be cool today,” he shouts and everyone looks at him, a little guilty. Luke steps back and walks over, puts a hand on his arm. “So please, for my sake.” Willie swallows down the lump in his throat. “I can't believe he's gone.” He looks down at the dirt, at the stone in front of it letting everyone know that Alex is buried here, that he’s _dead_. Willie wipes at his eyes and turns to Luke. “I can’t believe you're going.” Sure, he and Alex talked about sending Luke out to New Mexico to rehab, to Santa Fe. Taking him with them when they moved there to open up a restaurant. He remembers all the talks he and Alex shared about opening a safe space out there, but that’s never going to happen now so Willie might as well give the money to a good cause. “Alex helped us all believe in love, guys. I can’t believe we’re going to tarnish his memory like that.”

“Willie.” Julie comes up to him and he can’t hold it in anymore. He sobs into her hair, feels her wrap her arms around him, her small frame shaking against his as she shares his pain.

It’s hard, watching the family he’s built around himself, the family that Alex brought together with his fun energy and his sarcasm and his _life,_ disappear. Now that he’s gone, it feels like everyone’s splitting apart. Soon, he’ll have no one.

So he cries into Julie’s hair, feels Reggie and Luke’s hands on his shoulders. Everyone surrounds him and he sends up a thank you to Alex, wherever he is, for bringing together these amazing people, even if this might be the last time he ever sees them all.

* * *

Luke’s heading away from the gravesite when Reggie catches up to him.

“Are you really just going to leave?” the filmmaker asks. His bag thumps against his leg and Luke can see the glint of the silver frame of the camera Reggie’s always hiding behind. “Just like that?”

“Yeah.” Luke nods. “I can’t be here. I have to get clean.” He looks up, trying not to cry. A tear slides down his cheek anyway. “For Alex.” He looks at Reggie through the bangs his beanie presses down over his eyes.

“Why do you care?” Luke feels a surge of anger rise in him, feels it bubbling over until it spills out of his mouth. “‘Reggie’s got his work,’ they say. ‘Reggie lives for his work and Reggie’s in love with his work.’” He shakes his head. “Reggie _hides_ in his work.”

“From what?”

“You pretend to create and observe when you really detach from feeling alive.”

“Maybe,” Reggie cuts in, his voice shaking with anger and emotion, “maybe it's because I'm the one of us to survive.” Reggie’s not living with this virus, with addiction, with the suicide of his ex-girlfriend.

“Poor baby.” 

He takes another step and Reggie grabs his arm. “Julie still loves you. Are you really jealous or afraid that Julie's weak?”

“She did look pale”

“Luke, she’s running out of time.” Reggie scoffs. “And you're running out the door.”

“I can’t do this, Reg. I gotta go.” He tries to shake the other man off, but he can’t.

“Hey, for someone who's always been let down… who's heading out of town?”

Luke spins around and spits at Reggie, “For someone who longs for a community of his own, who's with his camera, alone?” The other man lets him go, eyes wide and glassy. “I'll call.”


	2. Chapter 2

The last time Like saw Julie, she was shivering on Bobby’s arm, her skin paler than he'd ever seen it. She swayed like she could hardly keep herself steady and his hands itched to reach out, but he couldn't. He couldn't give himself over to the tiny bright light she brought into his miserable life.

And he’d just left her there.

There was a haze over the entire day. Flynn and Carrie fighting after their engagement broke. Bobby showing off Julie on his arm and Reggie putting his camera away for once. And Willie… Willie just stood there accepting the fact that their family was breaking apart after one magical holiday together. Brought together by a man who loved life almost as much as he loved Willie and high heels.

Now, he's sitting in a shitty car he bought with the last of the money Alex gave him, the last thing Willie handed him before he took off somewhere. Luke's supposed to be at a rehab center a few miles away, but he can't do it anymore. So here he sits in a car he doesn't deserve somewhere outside of Santa Fe, staring at his hands. How hands itch for his guitar, like they did for Julie. The sun shines on his face and all he wants to do is turn back time, go back to the first time he met her. Sneaking in through the window, looking for a match for her candle.

"Would you like to dance?" she'd asked him, wiggled her fingers, once she’d given up on finding her bag. They were covered in fingerless gloves, nails painted black.

"With you?" he'd responded. Here she was, sneaking into the apartment he shared with Reggie and sometimes Willie, asking for a match and help finding her stash and showing off her ass, and then asking him to dance just because he had big hands. It was the weirdest experience, but it brought him her.

"No…" she gave him a look like he was a dumbass and he probably was, "with my father."

Now he sits here and remembers the moment so vividly. The way her hands felt cold in his, either from Bobby turning the heat in the building off or the drugs or the virus. He didn't care. Luke held her like she was his guitar, even after everything.

He's got a full tank of gas but no money to refill it and he's wondering if he should go back to NYC, try to make up with Reggie, and pull Willie out of the dark hole he's probably drowning in, filling it up with alcohol and numbness. If he's still alive. Luke prays to whatever god is listening to that he is.

* * *

He sells his shit car in Arizona and buys a plane ticket to New York. He’s got a few bucks left to get from the airport down to the East Village, grab something to fill his stomach, and to call Reggie to tell him that he’s coming home. On his way, he pauses at a pawn shop. There’s a guitar in the window… his guitar. Someone must have sold it once he left. He goes in and uses the last of his car money to buy it back instead of saving it for food. There’s the scratch he’s traced so many times, from when Lucy tried to grab it from him with her long nails as she stumbled behind him, drunk and high after a show.

Luke shakes his head as he cradles the neck of the guitar. His hands meet a new, crudely drawn cupcake near the base of the neck. _Julie_. She always had a sweet tooth, something he learned in the little time he knew her, and he smiles. And then frowns. She must have had his guitar, carved the image into the neck, and then sold it for drug money. He keeps going, tries not to think of her.

Reggie’s sitting on the wobbly table in the middle of their apartment. He’s got his camera bag over his shoulder, wringing it like Alex used to when he was anxious. Although Alex usually had a bedazzled fanny pack instead of a thirteen-year-old leather bag that had seen better days.

There's only a single table inside, the drum they burned the old rent due papers in and a beat up old bass that Reggie hasn't played since his bar mitzvah.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Luke can’t hold himself back. He rushes at Reggie and pulls him into a fierce hug. He feels the other man shake against him, feels tears on his shoulder. He and Reggie haven’t been separated for this long in, well, ever. Willie, Carrie, and Bobby joined them a few years after they became friends and the four of them thought they were going to take on the world. But Bobby became a yuppy and Willie turned to alcohol when he wasn’t teaching and Reggie retreated into himself and, well, Luke got AIDs. And then they all fell apart with Alex’s death.

“How… how is everyone?” Luke asks after a minute. 

Reggie pulls away and wipes his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I haven’t seen anyone but Willie since the funeral.”

“How’s he?”

“Not great, but he’s getting better. Not drinking as much. Bobby tried to get him into rehab, but he’s just laying low instead.” Reggie smiles.

Luke doesn’t want to ask about Julie, but bringing up Bobby makes him think of the girl with the moonlit hair and the brown eyes that sparkled with starlight. “And, uh, Julie?”

“Haven’t seen her since Bobby married Alison Grey. Flynn calls every once in a while, but she hasn’t seen Julie either.” His eyes go dull. “I tried to put my movie together, but the power went out before I could. The lightbulb blew. Can’t afford a new one. I wonder how Bobby’s new wife found out about Julie.”

“Maybe a little bird told her,” Luke comments as he rests his back against the table. It wobbles and he scowls at it, kicking the brick that’s supposed to keep it stable.

“Or an angel,” Willie’s voice echoes through the room. Luke looks up to see the other guy holding a wad of cash. He hands the cash to Reggie and a few bills to Luke. “I had a little hunch that you could use a little flow.”

“Tutoring again?” Luke asks as he counts out at least a hundred bucks.

“Negative.”

“Back at N.Y.U.?” Reggie pipes up.

“No, no, no.” Willie smirks, shaking his head. His eyes sparkle with mischief. "I rewired the ATM at the food emporium. To provide an honorarium to anyone with the code.” Luke knows Willie’s always been smart, probably only secondary to Flynn, but this is next level. “A-L-E-X.” He shrugs. “Yet Robin Hooding isn't the solution. The powers that be must be undermined where they dwell. In a small, exclusive gourmet institution, where we overcharge the wealthy clientele.”

The three friends smile at each other. Maybe, in honor of Alex, they could go back to Santa Fe and open up that restaurant. Name it after their friend. Save people who couldn’t save themselves.

Flynn and Carrie barge into the room just as they’re planning out the menu. “Luke! Reggie! Anyone, help!” they shout together. It’s the first time they’ve seemed to be on the same page in a _long_ time. Probably since last Halloween… since Alex died.

“Flynn?”

The darker girl’s shaking, her eyes wide and glassy. She’s wearing a fur coat that looks soft while Carrie’s decked in a holey Christmas-colored sweater. 

“It's Julie.” Flynn's voice shakes. “I can't get her up the stairs.”

Luke’s eyes go wide. “No,” he whispers. He leaps off the table and goes to run outside, but Reggie puts his hand on his chest. 

“Stay here. Get the table ready. Find those blankets we have.” Willie stays with Luke while Reggie goes outside. Luke itches again, stressed and wanting that needle back, but he went to rehab to get better for himself. For Alex. For Julie. 

The Julie that comes into the loft looks so different than the one that he left with Bobby at the funeral. She’s pale, her tan skin thin and Luke can see her veins. Her lips, usually so luscious, are turning blue. She’s breathing heavily against Reggie as he carries her, shaking from the chill in the air. He's carrying her bridal style, her arm slung limply over her shoulder, the other one against her chest like it's been put there. There's no heat in the apartment and Luke immediately descends on her when Reggie puts her down on the table. Luke wraps her up in the thickets blanket they have, the same one Willie used for Alex before he got too sick and had to go to the hospital. 

"Where was she?" Luke asks as Julie shivers against him. He rubs his hands up and down her arms and they feel like they're coated in ice. So different from the one warm kiss they shared on Christmas before e everything came tumbling down. 

"She was huddled in the park in the dark," Flynn tells them. Reggie brings over a hot cup of water but Julie shakes her head. "She was freezing and begged to come here."

"Got a light," Julie mumbles, "I know you... you're shivering." The words Luke said to her the night they met. When she barged into his apartment with a blown out candle, asking for a light and Luke found so much more than just a match. 

"She's been living on the street," Carrie adds as she smooths a sweaty curl from Julie's forehead. She's dressed in a long leather coat, a cropped shirt with lace underlay and leather pants.

"I'll call the doctor." Willie gestures to Reggie. "Go grab some wood and food."

Everyone's scrambling for something to help, but Luke cradles Julie to his chest, the blanket wrapped tightly around Julie and a thinner one wrapped around both of them.

"Luke, you have to know…" Julie says softly, "Bobby wasn't…"

"I know." He gives her a watery smile. "I should tell you why I left. I couldn't…"

"I know." Julie's eyes flutter shut and she takes rattly breath. "I should tell you… I love you…" 

Luke hears her breathing, but it's like she's not there anymore. He hates the virus. Hates the government for not caring. Hates the world. But he can never hate her. Even as much as he tried to when he was in rehab. Get better out of spite. "Who do you think you are? Leaving me alone with my guitar." He grabs said instrument and holds it. Flynn sobs and pulls Julie against her so Luke can play and he nods in thanks. "Hold on, there's something you should hear. It isn't much but it took all year."

The others wander over. Willie's still on hold with 911, Carrie and Reggie leaning against each other for support, both red-eyed and stating at him. Julie stirs in Flynn's arms and Luke begins to play.

_Your eyes_

_As we said our goodbyes_

_Can't get them out of my mind_

_And I find I can't hide_

_From your eyes_

_The ones that took me by surprise_

_The night you came into my life_

_Where there's moonlight_

_I see your eyes_

_How'd I let you slip away_

_When I'm longing so to hold you_

_Now I'd die for one more day_

_'Cause there's something I should have told you_

_There's something I should have told you_

_When I looked into your eyes_

_Why does distance make us wise?_

_You were the song all along_

_And before the song dies_

_I should tell you, I should tell you_

_I have always loved you_

_You can see it in my eyes_

Luke plays out a little melody at the outro, one he's been trying to get right for a while now. He doesn't look up from his guitar, can't. There's splashes of salty tears staining the wood, so he stares at those. Even as Flynn's sobs becomes so loud and Reggie cries out and Carrie collapses against the filmmaker's pant leg, clinging to the fabric.

"Luke?" He looks up to see Flynn watching him before he finally turns to Julie. Her head's limp and her arm lay dangling off the edge of the table.

"Julie!" he shouts. He falls to his knees, mirroring Carrie, and presses his lips to Julie's limp hand. Her skin's as cold as ice, her nails dirty and chipped, but he doesn't care.

Suddenly, Julie's fingers twitch under his lips and she lets out the tiniest whimper. The whole world freezes as her eyes flutter open and meet his. 

"I jumped over the moon," she mumbles, slurs her words. 

"What?"

"A leap of moooooooooooo…"

Flynn giggles next to her and Carrie comes over to put a hand on her shoulder. They're both smiling. Willie hangs up the phone and Reggie hugs him. They're all crying and smiling. Even though Julie could still pass at any moment, there's this one second bubble of bliss. 

"She's back," Flynn whispers through a cracking voice. She touches Julie's shoulder lightly and Carrie puts her hand on her arm. Reggie looks like he wants to climb on the table with her, but settles for leaning against it. Luke leans against him, keeping Julie's hand in his, massaging her palm with his thumb. Willie's just standing there, staring at Julie as she speaks. 

"I was in a tunnel," Julie says, almost in awe, "heading for this warm, white light."

Carrie covers her mouth. "Oh my god."

"And I swear Alex was there and he looked _good_!" Julie smiles and gives them a whisper of a laugh. "'And he said, 'Turn around, girlfriend, and listen to that boy's song.'"

Willie laughs as he cradles Julie's cheek in his big hand, tears beading at the corner of his eyes. Her eyes go glassy and flutter shut again, but she's gripping Luke's hand tightly. It's reassuring to know she's alive.

"She's drenched," Willie says after a moment, moving his hand from her cheek to her forehead. 

"Her fever's breaking." Before Carrie dropped out of school, Luke remembers her going to nursing school at NYU before the bills got too high and daddy disowned her for being a lesbian. 

" _There is no future; there is no past,_ " Reggie hums. He doesn't normally sing, but this moment calls for it. And Julie loves singing, does it in her free time when she's not dancing at the club or high out of her mind.

" _Thank God this moment's not the last,_ " Luke joins him, harmonizing, as he strums the chord on his guitar, improving. Julie puts his hand in the pocket of his jacket and smiles up at him as she joins in, singing with all the energy she can give to her words. 

_There's only us_

_There's only this_

Julie smiles brightens up the whole room, and for a little while Luke feels warm. "No music is worth making Julie," he whispers, "if we're not making it with you. No regrets.” 

_Forget regret or life is yours to miss_

Julie laughs, musical and light, as she reaches forward with weak hands to pull him closer. She'd follow her anywhere and go wherever she wants, so he kneels up and kind of falls into her, warm lips against his own. The others cough or look away and Luke smiles against her mouth as he tangles his fingers in her hair. It's rough and matted and full of sweat, but she just pulls him even closer.

They might not have long and everything's about to get more chaotic as they move into the new century, but they have each other and the memory of Alex and Reggie's film.

_No day but today..._


End file.
